


would you meet me in the middle

by wildfiremind



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Break Up, Canon Compliant, Changes after the episode, Episode: s02e13 Mr Jones, Fluff, M/M, Makeup, Malex, Mentioned Forlex, Mentioned Miluca - Freeform, Post Episode: s02e13 Mr Jones, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24755959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildfiremind/pseuds/wildfiremind
Summary: Alex may have been singing to Forrest, but he was singing about Michael. Forrest thinks its about time Alex stops denying they were practically over before they began so the soldier can hurry up and go get his man.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 11
Kudos: 168





	would you meet me in the middle

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry but who let Tyler Blackburn write that song and break my freaking heart?!!?? That finale wrecked me, like absolutely and totally and I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to wait until they release Season 3 to get my Malex fix (sorry Forrest you're gorgeous but I can't help myself I need my Malex)

Alex sipped his second beer of the night, cradling it between his hands as he attempted to listen to Forrest. He should feel ecstatic, he just kissed a boy in front of a bar full of people, in front of _his brother_ , it was his teenage self’s dream.

Except… teenage him had always seen a different boy when he imagined it. A curly haired, genius who kissed like a firestorm. Forrest was gorgeous, and kind, and he didn’t have the capacity to ruin Alex the way Guerin did; and still Alex felt wrong.

It wasn’t fair that Guerin could move on with his best friend and smile and laugh and feel none of the wrongness Alex got kissing someone who wasn’t him.

Alex was so lost in his own thoughts that it took him a moment to realise Forrest had stopped talking. The blue haired man watched him over the rim of his glass, his eyes sad even with the small smile on his lips.

“It’s okay.” Forrest said at last.

“What’s okay?” Alex hoped he hadn’t offended Forrest by not listening. His lover? boyfriend? deserved better than having Alex ignoring him to think about a past love.

“Loving him, it’s okay”.

A cold ball dropped in Alex’s stomach and he set his beer down with an audible thump.

“I’m sorry?”

“You love him Alex, you’re always going to love him. I knew we would be temporary and I’m happy I got this much time with you because you are amazing.”

“I don’t-what are you-Forrest I’m with you, I kissed _you.”_

Forrest shook his head and Alex couldn’t breathe. He’d messed it up again, he’d hurt someone just by being with them. God his dad was right, he ruined everything he touched.

“Hey, hey, no,” Forrest wrapped his hands around Alex’s, “don’t cry love”.

“I’m not-” Alex reached up to wipe at his cheeks and found a trickle of wetness. He sniffled and quickly dried it with his sleeve before letting Forrest retake his hands.

“You care about me Alex, but you love him. You don’t sing like that about something that’s over. That was…beautiful. And so painful. Love like that Alex, it doesn’t go away. Ever.”

“It did for him.” And doesn’t that hurt, admitting it. He would take a thousand beatings from his dad over admitting he lost Michael’s love.

“No, it didn’t”. Forrest lifted his hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. He took a breath, squeezed his eyes shut, looking as if he was bracing himself, before lowering Alex’s hands to the table and letting go.

“Nobody could ever love you, _Alex Manes_ , and then just walk away from it. I saw it every time he looked at you, like his heart existed outside his chest. And tonight, with that song, I could see yours did too. Because he’s your heart, and you deserve to have that”.

Alex couldn’t breathe.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering.

Because he knew Forrest, knew how intuitive the other man was, and if he said Michael looks at him like that then Alex will trust him, even if it’s hard to believe. He wanted so badly for Michael to love him, had ached for so long thinking it was gone, and he wasn’t sure he would survive if it turned out to be a lie.

“Is this a breakup?”

“Yes,” Forrest said simply, offering a watery smile at Alex’s cut off whine.

“Okay…okay. What do I do?” He had never really gone through a breakup, Michael and he had crashed and burned so many times but it was never a breakup, not really. He used to think they were infinite until Michael had ended it. But even then, that was less a breakup and more a complete decimation of his heart.

“Well as the ex I would like to say breakup sex. But as your hopeful friend I’m going to suggest you go get your man, for real this time”.

Alex laughed, and then sobbed, and then laughed again. “You’re pretty amazing you know”.

“I might have some idea” Forrest grinned and flicked a blue strand of hair from his eyes, pursing his lips in a seductive manner. At Alex’s hesitant look he smiled and patted the man’s hands, shooing him from the table with a weak chuckle.

Pushing free from the booth Alex paused, and after taking a moment to puzzle something out in his head, bent down to press a chaste kiss to Forrest’s lips. He lingered for a moment, breathing in the soft woodsy scent and then drew back.

Forrest blinked dazedly; lips parted in surprise.

“Thank you,” Alex whispered.

Forrest smiled and knocked their foreheads together gently, angling his head back slightly to return the chaste kiss. When he pulled back it felt like an ending and by the time he opened his eyes Alex was gone.

* * *

The lights were off when Alex pulled up at the airstream.

For a moment he doubted being there, whether he was welcome or if he should just leave. Then he remembered Forrest’s sad smile as he told Alex about Michael and knew that he owed it to the other man to see this through.

His knocking was louder than he expected, the metallic ringing still in his ears as the door swung open. The light flicked on and Alex found himself holding his breathe as Michael shuffled into the doorway, haloed in the golden light.

“Alex?” The alien had obviously just woken up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His curls were tousled from sleep and Alex really wanted to relearn how they look wrapped around his fingers.

“Michael, hi. I just-Can we talk?”

His voice wavered, all the confidence he had talked himself into on the ride over draining away as he traced the shape of Michael’s lips with his eyes. Perhaps it’s the tone, or his use of Michael’s first name but the alien’s eyes widened in alarm and Alex cursed himself.

“Shit-sorry! It’s not bad I promise-at least I think-no sorry-I just. Sorry, hi.”

“Hi Alex,” Michael chuckled, because they had already done this part and all at once Alex felt like he was just fucking it up more and more with every word. But there was no time for his pity party, he had thrown enough of them over the last few months.

“Can I come it?”

He didn’t expect Michael to say yes but the other man just stepped aside and gestured Alex inside. It was as cramped as Alex remembered but he had a lot of good memories in that bed and he blushed as he sat down on the edge of the mattress, doubly so when Michael sat down next to him.

“So…”

“So?”

Michael was obviously confused, why wouldn’t he be. It’s not like Alex had really given him any reason to expect him just showing up at his home, in the middle of the night.

“Forrest and I broke up,” Alex finally blurted out, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his hands folded in his lap.

Michael started beside him, and when Alex peeked out of the corner of his eye he realised Michael had begun to reach for his hand but stopped himself at the last moment.

“I’m sorry-I mean I’m sorry if you’re hurting or if something happened. Can I ask why? I mean you sang to him tonight and you guys seemed…happy”.

““Forrest is a good guy, fuck a great guy really. But come on Guerin,” Alex sighed, nudging Michael with his shoulder, “we both know he wasn’t the one I was singing to”.

“Do we?” Alex didn’t want to assume but there was something like hope in Michael’s voice. That slight chance gave him the courage to look over at Michael, meeting his intense gaze.

“Yeah we do”. This time when Michael reached for his hand, he didn’t stop himself, and Alex kept the intense eye contact as he twined his fingers through Michaels.

“Oh.” There was a blush rising high on Michael’s cheeks and Alex felt an answering blush in the heat of his face. He would be more embarrassed but the feeling of Michael’s hand in his was one he had been missing for so long.

“Yeah, _oh_.”

“I guess I’m not as sorry then?”

“I mean it still kinda sucks, Forrest was kind and what we had didn’t hurt,” at this Michael looked away, a pained frown marring at his face, “ _but,_ maybe that’s the problem. Things that mean something, that deserve to hurt, they’re always going to be a risk. And I’ll have you know I’m very good at taking risks.”

“Perhaps too good sometimes,” there’s an admonishment in Michael’s voice but he was smiling, and Alex was aching all over again.

There was silence for a few minutes and Alex could see Michael gearing himself up for something. He let him work through it in the quiet, lightly squeezing his hand when the alien finally turned to him again.

“I used to think we were a crash landing,” and fuck maybe Alex had heard it already but why did it have to hurt every time. ”Only, I think maybe I was so focused on crashing I forgot about how great it felt to fly, with you, and because of you”.

Michael gripped his hand tighter and turned so he was facing Alex on the bed, waiting a moment for Alex to readjust himself and his leg to mirror his position. There wasn’t all that much room for two grown room in the airstream but that just meant they had to be closer than they may be able to justify to themselves otherwise.

“I’m sorry Alex. I’m sorry for hurting you, and for dating Maria without thinking about you, and for blaming you for all the fucked-up shit that went down in my life. I’m plenty good at fucking stuff up on my own, and that’s not on you.”

“Hey, no, there is going to be none of that. I know you were hurting Michael and I just wanted you to be okay. I’m not going to say it didn’t suck that you went to Maria, or that neither of you talked to me about it, but I just want you to be happy. And I couldn’t give you that, so I get it”.

Michael huffed and shook his head, creases in his brow and a pained frown on his lips but his hands were endlessly gentle in Alex’s.

“You don’t get it Alex. You make me happy. Always have, always will. Maybe I’ve been content these past few months, but I can’t be happy when I don’t have you. You’re a part of me Alex, all the way down to my marrow, every part of me is a part of you.”

“Fuck. Michael,” Alex breathe and reached out to pull Michael in, hands sliding from his jaw into his curls. He drew them closer but paused just before their lips could connect, gazing deep into Michael’s eyes which were blown wide with want and love.

“Alex-what?” Michael’s voice was rough with desire and his lips brushed Alex’s as he spook, it took everything Alex had not to just _take_ and _possess._

Instead Alex leant his forehead against Michael’s and took a deep breath, remembering the words he sang on the stage only a few hours before, thinking only of the man sitting next to him.

“ _Would you meet me in the middle. Could we both stop keeping score,_ ” Alex sang, his voice barely above a whisper but Michael groaned and tilted his head that last inch to catch Alex’s lips in his.

It was like coming home, soft and warm and comforting. It was safety and love and everything Michael had only ever felt in Alex’s arms.

He caught Alex’s bottom lip between his own and slid work roughened hands down his soldier’s waist to pull him closer, feeling Alex’s hands drift from his hair as the other man wrapped his arms around Michael’s neck and held him close.

They kiss once, twice, a third time, sinking into the slick slide of their lips and the gentle puffs of breath when they break for air before coming together again.

Michael remembered seeing Alex on that stage, gorgeous and open, so much the seventeen-year-old dreamer, hardened by war and heartbreak perhaps, but still so brave. The instant the other man had started singing he wanted nothing more than to march up on that stage and kiss Alex. And now he could.

_“I can build your heart home. And if i did. Would you come home”._ Michael wasn’t aware he had stopped kissing Alex until the last word had left his lips, huskier than Alex’s own singing voice but containing every ounce of desire and love he had been holding in since the other man went off to war.

“I already have,” Alex whispered, and Michael smiled, tugging Alex in to press their lips together. Laughing against Alex’s lips he tipped them over, pulling him closer to kiss him again and again, both men smiling like giddy children as Michael pinned Alex to the bed and pressed kisses over inch of available skin.

His soldier has always looked so good against his sheets, but Michael thought he looked even better now that he was fully Michael’s. And he didn’t plan on letting go again, not for anything.


End file.
